Chair



J. H. PILATES CHAIR l Filed Aug. 29. 1931 sheets-sheet' 1 Aug- 14, 1934- J. H. PILA-.rEs 1,969,901

CHAIR Filed Aug. 29, 1951 s sheets-sheet 2 I INVENTOR J7 /0 fat-PH /v P/Arfs BY ATTORNEYS/7@ a 4 M Allg- 14; 1934- J. H. PILATES v 1,969,901

CHAIR Filed Aug. 29. 1931 3 sheets-sheet 3 ,IIIIHHHII -"""M" 11| 'l HI' INVENTOR JOSEPH P/A T55 ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 14, 1934 y Y y y 1,969,90f

n Joseph Hrilates, NewJ verk, reir;U f *f Application August 9,193.1? 4Srllel'119- 1f56011??5;

9 claims. y(or. 272255);

present invention relates to improvements iny chairs. More particularly, it is an objectof my inventionto devise aV chair which will'better support the body, promote better posture and ind? sure more thorough rest andi relaxation to the sitter. A further object isto provide a chair which is convertible into an exercising device, asA well as to. provide an improved" exercising.- devicey Al still` further object is to' provide ay dev-ice' of this. type which will be useful in correcting fallenarches of? the feet. v

Further objects andl advantages of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds andi thefeatures offnovelty will be pointedout in1 the appended claims.

My invention will behest understood by reference to'- th'e following detailed description talren'` w-itlr the' annexed' drawings, in which Figure I is a view in front elevation and in- .vert'ical section of a preferred embodiment;y

Figure1 2 is'v asection along the line 2;-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 isa top plan view of the chair with a'iportionf broken away;

Figure 4' is` av view in vertical section similar-Y todigure 2` but'with. the seat in raised exercising position and with the back inl retracted' position, inorder to maintainl which an applied' force' would be necessary to act in the oppositedi# rection' of" the tension of' the' spring shown at'- tached to the back;

Figure Slis a view in seotionf takenalong the line"- 64-6 of Figure 2 and showing alatchde vicei for holding the seat in noni-exercising po-'v siti'orr; v Y' Figure 'T' i'sf af section along the' line# '7-i-7f of? Figure 2' showing adevioe forl raising -th'e seati` when the same is unlatched;

Figures 8, 9; 10, 11 Aand f2 show of my improvedexercising device;

Figure 13 is af side elevation' view; partlyin' section; of amordi'edv chair irl-'which the exercise! the, operation Figure'` 14% is a fron-tuviewfof s'ame with'` parts; broken away;` Figure 1`5 is= a.V plan view: off aV series. off such: chairs,"

lligure,y 16 a; viewdon a. largerrscale of ai spring for the back of the-:chair`and atensionr` ing?v device? for the'springfa and y Figure 17: isf a perspective' view lof. one, of the; archI supporting devices removedzfronrthe; chair;v

Referring; now to thej.drawing's in: detail,- `111i denotes the baci; of my improved chair, such back-leiiig-'llinged jat a; point near the bottom oftliecliair as at 111; the? back! beingheldl in operative positionby' means ofa pair of springs at either side, one iff wliich,` lf3?, is seen in Figures 2V an'dlil Means-are preferably employed` for 'varyingtle tension ofthe springs 13 asby anchoring one endl of the fsprings toy al post 15 withinthe chairffandthe'other end`` in a;` toothed rack 1'7A attached to the back of the chair' by means of which one 'end-fofflthe springs` may' be brought tentar-dy or away from the hinge 1l; Y

My improvedichai'r includes a seat 19 which is hingedl at' 2li? adjacentthebackof thechair, such constructionl permitting the seat to be moved through an` angle of' several degrees as shown for example inFigure 4'. It willbe noted thatwhen my device is used as an ordinary chair,v the seat is tilted-ll preferably downwardly toward theY rear ofi the chair by an angle Vof 105" more or less and. alsorl thebackl 10 i's= inclined forwardly to the verticalby severaldegreesfasfor example by an angle of-'5 more` orless-gwhereby the' seat and-back of the chair cooperate' togive a maximum degree of support to thebo'dygit being understood that when arperson sitsinfthe chair and leans backk in it, his weight? willi cause the: back 'to move about the hinge in aecordan'ceiwiththe amount of weight which is leaned against it. Preferably a cushion 23 of' more or less'wedge shape is-employediby being' restedfagainstthe' loacl with; the` base of the wed'geresting upon the seat, the provision or 'this' cushionlandlal'sofa better supportgiventhe back, A The `chair also-c`omprises1a fro'rit25'y whichplaysan imperta-nt'part in theluseof my device as an exerciser, 'sushi-ront, together with the seat 19`,V beinguphol's'teredias shownl Alteferenc'e to'Figures sjtcirzl wur-indicate thatiwnen my devicejis used as? an'fexerciserf the chair"ispl'aced withits back floor 'While V*the person recl'infesV upon the front `2 `Eft' is;essehtial'thattheseat 19` move upwardly alfo'outwv the-hinge 121` (in the position:

positionl'away"fromtheffront 25 as otherwiseone` upon' the seatcoming down in contact with the"V front.` I-nfmy present d evicey this` contingency is' provided against'by employing a coil spring/ZZfor the 'exercising-'function` such that' the individual-y coilsroffthe?springfrest upon one another'when the springisnoiundeif tension; wherebythe springs;A ih'sthemselves holdthe seatin itsfupward' positiom In' other: words', .the .springwill itsraised po-V sitiorrfresist anyfforc'e tending' tio-:compress theA spring isappliedl inlthe direction!offit's't4 grasping' the' endf of'A the seat'4 woul'djbe pinchedflo length.- However, the spring may be coiled within the chair simply by applying a force at right angles to the spring. In such position, however, it does not exert an appreciable force so that it is necessary to provide some means for causing the seat to assume its upper position of rest, and to this endI have provided a plunger 29, (Figures 4 and 7), which plunger is caused to ride in a recess provided for it and tobe pushedupwardly by means of a spring 31, the construction being such that the plunger 29 rides in its recess and cannot be accidently removed. In order to hold the seat down against the pressure exerted by the plunger 2,9, the latch device shown in Figure 6 may be employed consisting of a plunger 32, aY latch 33 attached to the chair seat19 and aspring Thus when the plunger 32 vis pulled out against the spring 35 it releases: the latch proper 33 and allows the plunger 29 to initiate-Y the upward movement of the seat 19 to the position shown inFigure 4. 5

,For the purpose of varying the resistance to movement ofi-the seat 19 .caused by the-spring 27, I preferably mount the end of said spring;y

Yvelop different musclesvin the body, a few exer'-,

cises being indicated in Figures 9 to 12. An irnportant advantage oimyvdevice is that, as previously stated, it may be used to correct fallen arches. v To` accomplish this most effectively` a rpair of metal-blades 41 are provided which preferably are removably attached to the outer edge of the seat 19, the use of such arch supporting members being shown best in Figure 1 1.kv An arch block which isl suitable for use is sl'iowninA detail in Figure 17, such block being of Vashape to t the arch of the foot, the block being held in place by means of a. stud 43 whichis enteredinto a hole in abeam 45 engaging the lower surface of the seat 19. L

Y In Figures 13, 14, 15 and 161 have illustrated my `improved `chair without the exercising device. It will be noted that the back 10. is hinged toA the base 50 of the chair and when the chair is not being sat in, the back'occupies a position in,

' which it is tilted forward somewhat of thegeyertical. When, however, the Ychair is sat in and weight leaned against the backit is permitted to the seat may be tilted upwardly Whenever the oc,-

casion demands, as when use of-my improved chairfishad for auditoriumpurposes, or whenr it is desired to use the space beneath-the seat 19 for storagerpurposes. In Figure15 Ihave showny the arrangement of seats according to lmy invention when used ,in an Aauditorium ink whichy the arm` rests 54 are used to house the springs controlling .the backs of theY seats'.` In Figure 16 I have shown means `for adjusting the-,tension'of kthe springs, such means comprising an -interiorly threaded bushing 56 --in which is engaged j 'a threadedvrod l577 attached to spring 13'.,

It will be seen from the foregoing that by virtue of the coaction of the downwardly inclined seat and spring-pressed, hinged back which makes a somewhat acute angle thereto, pressure is applied to the spine at the point where it is most apt to slump, whereby greater comfort and hygiene are obtained.

While I have illustrated and described in detail certain preferred forms of my invention, it isfto, be .understood that changes may be made therein and the invention embodied in other structures. AI do not, therefore, desire to limit myself to the specific construction illustrated, but intend to cover my invention broadly in whatever form its principle may be utilized.

I .Claimr l. In combination, a chair frame having a seat hinged thereto, an exercising device enclosed by said frame and seat, said exercising device com-` so as to oppose a movementy of the seat about thev hinge away from said frame,.said springwhen relaxed `forming a yielding` support. for the seat to maintain itnormal1y--above Athe level Lof vthe front portion of the chair. n l

2. In a chair vhaving a xed frame, a seat in-Y clined downwardly toward the back, the back be ing hinged to the chair frame a substantialdise tance below the level of the rearv edge of the seat and having spring means connected to the back and to the frame for urging saidV backagainst said xed frame.v 1 f v f 3. In a chair having a frame and sideportions,

a seat inclined downwardly toward Vthe back, the

back being hinged'to the chair adjacent .the oor and at a substantial distance below the level of the rear edge of the seat and contractilespring means disposed beneath the seat and having the opposite ends connected to `the back and to the frame for` urging said back against said side portions.

4. In a chair having side portions, a seat inclined downwardly toward the back, the .back being hinged to the chair a substantial distance below the level of therear edge of the seatand` having spring means urging said back, against said side, portions, and a loose back cushion of generally ywedge-shape fitting saidchair withthe bottom of the wedge adapted to be placed upon the seat.

5. In a chair having sideportions, a seat inclined downwardly toward the back, the back being hinged to the chair a substantial distance below the level of the rear edge of the seat vand having Vspringmeans urgingvvsaid back against said side portions, and means for obstructing access to,the space between the back and the chair the chair. f

6. In combinatioma chair having a frame and a back, a seat mounted on the frame for ,tilting movement into proximity to, and towardparallelismwith, said back, anda Yspring attached to said seat and adapted tooppose;A said tilting movement toward vsaid back, said back forming a when Vthe back is in aposition ,outward fromv fiat supporting surface and the surfaceopposite said back being adapted to constitute a body support whereby said chair is adapted to be placed on its backand usedforexercising byftiltingfsaid seatagainstcsaidspring.

'7. In combination, a chair having a frame aback, a seat occupying vabnormally depressed position andmounted on the frame vfor tilting movement into proximity to, and 'toward parallelism with said back, and a. spring attached to said seat and adapted to oppose said 'tilting movement toward said back, said chair being adapted to be placed on its back and used for exercising, said spring being ineffective to return the seat to its fully depressed position.

8. A chair adapted to be turned on its back and when so turned to be used for exercising, comprising a frame, a back, a seat swingingly mounted on the frame, a portion at the front of the chair disposed to extend substantially horizontal when the chair is placed on its back and to serve as a body support, and an exercising device normally enclosed by said seat and frame, said device comprising a. spring connected at opposite ends to the chair frame and to the seat to oppose swinging movement of the seat in one direction.V

9. A chair adapted to be turned on its back and when so turned to be used for exercising, comprising a frame, a back, a, seat swingingly mounted on the frame, a portion at the front of the chair disposed to extend substantially horizontal when the chair is placed on its back and to serve as a body support, and an exercising device normally enclosed by said seat and frame, said device comprising a spring connected at opposite ends to the chair frame and to the seat to oppose swinging movement of the seat in one direction, and an arch tting device attached to the seat.

JOSEPH H. PILATES. 

